Tales of Azuria
by cardinalexorcist
Summary: The evil forces of Pandemonium threaten the daily lives of the innocent and every day is a struggle between the Envoys who wish for peace and the fallen Envoys who provoke chaos. Navea, the impenetrable bastion, is now being threatened and only the few Envoys of Gaia who become involved through coincidence are able to prevent the coming chaos. Arc 1: Terrorism in Navea.
1. Prologue

"The red string of fate ties together those all over the world, from any race, religion, culture, or personality. Many know of this string and make a fatal misconception.

This string is not one that connects lovers.

This string is not one that connects those fated to meet again and again.

This string is not even one that leads to your demise.

It is simply a string that connects lives. Strangers who bump shoulders in a street…family that eats together at the same table…warriors whose hearts meet on the hell called a battlefield…Each and everyone one of them is connected by a string that can never be cut, without exception.

Again, once more, to firmly clear up the misconception:

Those who live on Azuria are all bound by the red string of fate, stranger or kindred, envoy or dwarf, good or evil. Even the most unfamiliar strangers affect each other's life, like a distant drop of rain contributing to a tide that washes ashore miles away. That effect, however insignificant or debatable, is permanent and everlasting.

Those who believe relationships can be severed…are simply retarded."


	2. Chapter I: The Adventurer's Metropolis

Navea; Terra's cultural and economic mecca that stood as the center of the Church as well as the home for both the veteran and amateur merchants. Regardless of one's profession, interests, or hobby, Navea was a place where you could go to meet experts and conduct business with the best of the best. If you were a traveler, you were naturally expected to have visited Navea multiple times. In fact, if you called yourself an adventurer, explorer, or any other lofty little like that, it was immediately assumed that you were familiar with Navea.

When SpaceTwist heard this from a kind merchant when she'd first come to Navea, she hadn't him seriously. She'd just thought it was his way of welcoming her. In all honesty, she hadn't expected to show up in this large metropolis too often following that time. She expected to be busy carefully searching the furthest corners of the earth, so returning to this one city didn't seem the least bit realistic to her, nice as it was.

But, to her surprise, everything that merchant had said about Navea was true. Everywhere SpaceTwist went to thereafter, no matter where it was or what the location's circumstances, the other travelers spoke of Navea as their own home, despite being vagrants from all over. And, before she knew it, she was doing the same thing. Traveling back and forth between Navea and everywhere else, telling the locals of different towns that she went to the stories of the tall, pristine buildings…it all became part of her life style. It really seemed that all roads led to Navea.

Not that she would ever make the mistake of calling this place her home. That was one thing that would never happen.

SpaceTwist had returned for what must have been the fourth time that short week, once again with only practicality in mind. She walked with a heavy sack slung over one shoulder as she dodged her way through the thick crowd of loiters, heading straight to her destination completely on instinct, the path ingrained into her mind. She could probably make it there blindfolded, following the scent of fires burning. The smell of cinders was heavy in the air even though the smoke billowed away harmlessly in the sky, leaving behind that scent that reminded you of certain religious holidays centered around a fireplace. Even the heavy wooden door that SpaceTwist pushed open to enter a blacksmith's workshop smelled as if it were burning, having soaked in the scent over the course months, maybe even years.

It wasn't really unpleasant.

"Analisa, I came with—"

"What do you mean you can't use them?! Do you know how much work I put into finding these things?! They've probably gone extinct by now, but I managed to snag a few of their pelts for you! I should be showered with praise and cash! How can you just turn me away?!"

"What can I say? Your so-called 'kindness' is a bit of a hassle."

SpaceTwist stopped short as soon as she entered the workshop, seeing that she hadn't been the first to arrive. She let the bag slung over her shoulder lips from her hands, dropping it on the floor and kicking it safely to a corner.

Analisa, the young blacksmith who SpaceTwist had come to see, noticed her immediately and held up a peace sign with a grin as greeting. SpaceTwist's eyes swept the girl's clothes, noting that she was still showing a lot of skin with her short shorts and vest that pretty much bared her naval. In terms of shame and femininity, Analisa was borderline tomboy, especially with her haphazardly cut reddish hair. SpaceTwist didn't really care about the clothes, but being so cruel to your own hair had to be a crime.

The other one didn't show any sign of even noticing SpaceTwist's arrival, likely due to his back being to her. But what she saw was enough to make her whistle, impressed.

The young man had an impressive body, from a combatant's perspective. Broad shoulders and tall bearing made it clear that he was hiding a good number of muscles underneath that large fur coat he wore, which was likely skinned and made from an animal he killed himself. SpaceTwist knew immediately that this guy was a hunter from the Triatio Highlands—he had a similar 'scent' to the ones she'd often run into while traveling.

If he kept threatening Analisa with his larger body, SpaceTwist would probably teach him firsthand that her experiences with hunters were never good.

"I spent HOURS looking for just five of these things! They're so rare, finding a trail to track them by was basically all luck! And you're telling me you won't even reward me for my hard work by buying them?!"

"Of course not." Analisa sighed as she shook her head back and forth, swinging a wrench threateningly in his face. "I never asked for them, did I? You're always coming in here to sell me things you killed and then ask me to make you another coat with them. It's starting to get old, you know?"

"That's because your coats are awesome! I've had this one for four years now, and it hasn't been ripped to shreds! That's a new record!"

"You realize that I'm the exclusive blacksmith for KNIGHTS, right?"

It was clear from their expressions that neither side was planning on backing down anytime soon…Maybe it would be better to come back later?

"Ah, SpaceTwist, wait!"

Analisa called out immediately when SpaceTwist's face showed every sign of intending to leave. Calling her name aloud basically announced SpaceTwist's presence to the hunter, who finally turned around to see that another person had been there all along.

Rather than being surprised, he raised an eyebrow curiously.

"SpaceTwist? Is that even a name?"

The first thing he said happened to be the hardest thing to answer.

"It's what I call myself, so what do you think?" SpaceTwist sighed, silently congratulating herself on successfully using a loophole to avoid any unnecessary follow-up questions. Analisa held a thumb's up to her in silent encouragement.

"Sure, you call yourself that, but anyone can call themselves anything." The large hunter frowned at SpaceTwist, looking her up and down. SpaceTwist was still wearing her combat clothes that basically covered the necessary areas while giving her maximum mobility. "…That's a pretty neat outfit. So you're a friend of Analisa?"

So what, now she and Analisa were a duo of exhibitionists?

"I bring her materials and she makes them into the tools I need. It's no different from your relationship, apparently. It's strictly professional."

"How cold!" Analisa immediately objected, pushing past the hunter to approach SpaceTwist. "We have a great relationship! In fact, I'm on great terms with all of my regulars!"

"Regulars?" The hunter scoffed at that, rolling his eyes while folding his arms over his chest. "I thought you were strictly a blacksmith for knights?"

"Aw, are you pouting Xigarn? Jealousy doesn't look as good on you as that coat."

Analisa smirked as she wrapped her hands around SpaceTwist's small body, pulling her into an embrace. SpaceTwist frowned, immediately uncomfortable with the unnecessary contact, preparing to push the blacksmith off of her.

"SpaceTwist just happens to be a bit of a special case. I help my friends out, after all."

Analisa's grip tightened as soon as she felt SpaceTwist begin to fight, lowering her mouth next to SpaceTwist's ear as if to bite it playfully.

SpaceTwist immediately stopped fighting, her body falling slack.

"Let's make a deal, Xigarn." Analisa turned her smile back to the hunter as she patted SpaceTwist on the head before releasing her. "If you go through with it, I'll consider making you that coat you're so hung up on."

"I'll do it."

"…But I didn't even tell you what it is."

"Don't care. I'll do it."

The response was practically immediate, followed by a triumphant smile. It seemed Xigarn was confident in his ability to see through whatever task Analisa set for him.

Though that confidence began to falter under SpaceTwist's piercing gaze.

"What?" He asked with a somewhat confused expression as he looked back at SpaceTwist. But she didn't respond. Standing right beside one another, her head only reached his chest, which made him very overbearing. But even looking up, the aura SpaceTwist's gaze gave off would make anyone cower.

It was just a step away from killing intent, though it wasn't necessarily directed at him.

_I found some information for you_. Analisa had whispered. _You might need some help._

SpaceTwist would accept anything Analisa suggested on the subject, but she was skeptical that this guy would be of any use. Well, his exact use remained to be seen. She just hoped he could keep up.

There was no way she would miss a chance to break this stupid curse.

* * *

"Ah, finally! Civilization! Daylight! Fresh air! It feels like it's been an eternity since I've seen the sun!"

"Yeah, these last three months have been the slums…Cactakara Forest is surprisingly depressing once you get past the cool engineering they do there."

The teleport crystal in Navea, which connected to several towns across the world, was always alive with conversation and surrounded by people. This crystal was both the most efficient and most widely used transportation system in the world, so it was only natural that the crystal based in Navea, the mecca for all things on Terra, would always be surrounded by people going in and out of the warp portal or people meeting up with others. People were always appearing or disappearing in a flash of blue light around the crystal, using highly complicated teleportation magic still hardly understood.

Two figures in particular materialized with a flash of blue light, already in midstride as they stepped away from the crystal, both basking in the warmth of the sunlight at once.

One was a woman wearing a full combat outfit consisting off a long sleeved shirt, vest, and thick pants tucked into high boots. Unflattering as this outfit was for a female, it didn't mar her pretty features that matched her short snow white hair. Though the massive cannon she lugged around with her was harder to dismiss.

The other was a man with dark hair and piercing scarlet eyes that gave him an intimidating aura, along with the western cloak he wore woven of neon colors that didn't seem like natural dye. He had shoulder guards that seemed like thick armor, but depending on the angle that they were looked at from, they tended to 'disappear' from sight, as if they were an optical illusion.

Far from standing out the most in this city of exotic adventurers, they still stood apart from any normal inhabitant of Navea. Standing next to one another and saying things so out of place only emphasized their uniqueness.

"Alright," The man wearing the oddly colored cloak nodded firmly as he blinked several times to adjust his eyes to the bright light. He clapped his hands together, clearly ready to get down to business. "Since we came all this way, let's start with recruiting some women. The big kind."

"Stoooooooop!"

The man's companion threw her hands up in a 'stop everything' gesture almost as soon as he started talking, as if by reflex. He simply blinked back at her in confusion.

"What? You look great and all, Chii, but you're not exactly my type. Don't worry—you can't win every battle."

She very clearly ignored everything he said.

"Hiro Kyosuki, listen to me very careful. I'm going to remind you exactly why we came all this way to begin with, so don't drift off. We come all the way to Navea, where the Holy See that is in charge of the whole CHURCH is, and all you think about is recruiting girls to our guild?"

"Well, obviously. We came all the way here to look for some good allies to join our guild, after all. In that case—"

"You're missing the point! The church equals knights! Knights are the soldiers of the church! And do you know what soldiers mean?"

"Please don't say six pa—"

"SIX PACK OF ABS! We're here to invite buff, Herculean warriors who have an iron plate for a chest and can make the six hills roll and ripple like waves at will!"

Chii touched her hand to her chest as she spoke with fiery passion in her eyes, though it faded in hesitation as she glanced down at her hand, deliberately moving it down a few inches so her hand was now placed over her stomach where her abs were.

_Don't act like your 'assets' were enough to trick you on where you abs are._ Hiro thought with stubborn refusal. _I'm not gullible to fall for it._

He cleared his throat before responding.

"Chii, you know we can't invite normal people to our guild, right? That would violate the agreement that only envoys can join guilds made by envoys. This was something those at the top decided on, after all."

Chiibun glared daggers at her companion for a long minute before her face slowly loosened up, turning from rage to depression. She was soon staring at her own hands in shock before she buried her face in her hands, sobbing silently.

She'd completely forgotten?

"Hiro. Don't. Please. Just don't remind me."

Of course, it wasn't like there were no Templars in Navea who were also envoys. It was uncommon, though, and usually they usually worked with their Church for personal reasons and past experiences. Convincing one to join a guild would prove difficult, to say the least.

Not that Hiro really minded. The only Templar he was interested in was Anya, and she was definitely off limits.

Hiro sighed wistfully as he recalled the cold expression of the redheaded knight. His hope of recruiting a woman like that was minimal for many other reasons, anyways.

"Ahh!"

That stunned, and surprisingly cute, yelp escaped Chiibun as she was bumped from behind, stumbling forward to catch her balance, running right into Hiro, who through his arms out to catch her.

_She's soft, but she didn't bounce…_ Was Hiro's critical thought that showed clear on his face. There should have been an angry response, but…

_Firm, but very little definition. Tch. Is this all a sorcerer is capable of?_

It seemed Chiibun, the supposed victim, was quite the opportunist as well.

"S-Sorry." The perpetrator smiled at them apologetically. "It's just been so long since I've been in Navea, so I wasn't watching where I was going."

Both Hiro and Chiibun didn't respond immediately, too busy taking in the sight before them. This person was a young woman dressed in colorful robes that reflected every element without clashing and she held a strangely shaped staff in her hand, one neither had seen before.

"It's no problem." Chiibun assured, speaking first. "I was pretty distracted, too."

She bowed her head once more in apology before heading off, practically skipping with joy, for some reason. She and Hiro watched after her, both with different expressions on their faces.

"…Green hair? Is she an archmage?"

"I doubt it, but I definitely felt something strange about her." Hiro responded to Chii's curious statement from a frown. "It reminds me a bit of Archbishop Belenus."

"She might a member of the Navean Order, though it's rare to see one so young…"

A momentary silent filled the gap between their last words and the moment the wizard in question disappeared. It was only then that Hiro came to his senses.

"Damn it! Hottie! Wait up! Agh, she's gone! Must. Invite. Sexy. Woman. To. GUILD!"

Hiro attempted to push his way to the crowd to hurry in the direction the wizard had gone in, but was cut off by a heavy cannon that mercilessly slammed into his gut, knocking the wind out of him so he fell his knees. Hiro whimpered pathetically, but didn't have the energy to stand up and continue running as Chii held her cannon up again, threatening to knock him over the head without holding back.

"Six pack Templars. NOW."

"Fine! Okay! Just don't hitting me anymore! You might hit something valuable."


	3. Chapter II: The Footsteps' Shadow

"…What should I do?"

Esther sighed as she strode through the busy city of Navea, her eyes full of wonder and curiosity. In the time that she'd been gone, the city had really changed. New faces were everywhere, which was to be expected, but the change that affected her the most was the people who she recognized. She could hardly walk five yards before someone called out to her, spotting her before she could find them in the crowd. Even after walking up close, she never recognized their faces right away, which was somewhat embarrassing. They spoke about how much she had grown, how she'd turned into a beautiful young lady, and how much they'd missed her, but she thought that they'd all changed more.

Had this grocer always had such a frightfully large mustache? Did those kids always run around so fast when they played tag? Even the bull that pulled the friendly merchant's cart seemed to have an angry expression that she'd never noticed five years ago. It was as if she'd entered an alternate dimension that was similar, but with very distinct, yet minor, differences.

While Esther was thrilled to speak with all of her old friends and the people of Navea who had practically been family to her, she was left a little unnerved by how different it felt. While they were the same people, it felt as if something new had been added to the original.

Ah, no. That wasn't right. Esther was looking at it all wrong.

She only realized this as she walked alone through the town, having already greeted every old face she could remember. Once she got the chance to gather her thoughts and breathe a little, things made a bit more sense to her.

They hadn't changed at all. She was the one who'd changed. Especially her perspective.

Five years, completely surrounded by nature. It generally wasn't a long enough time when compared to hermits, but during those five years, she'd immersed herself into working with the elements of the world, literally joining minds with the natural world around her. She'd begun to 'understand' nature just as a person could understand another person by spending time with them. This made Esther far more attentive and perceptive than normal. So now she was seeing aspects of the people she knew that had always been there, but had not been able to see before.

Looking at it that way, she felt less unnerved. In fact, she was elated. This was proof of her progress. Her entire reason for leaving this place, her home, was to make this kind of progress.

So she couldn't help my smile proudly to herself, unconsciously laughing with a strange 'Huehuehuehue~' that made several heads turned, though she paid no mind to it.

In that instant, she noticed something out of place.

She could feel a dozen or so eyes that turned toward her with curiosity before looking away, which was normal. But she could also feel another pair of eyes that wasn't nearly as casual and lingered on her back for much longer.

* * *

"You idiot!"

SpaceTwist hissed angrily without changing her expression and barely moving her lips, lazily sitting at the table with her chin rested on her open palm, elbow propped up on the table.

Xigarn, the target of her glare, clicked his tongue as he noticed his own mistake, calmly prying his gaze off of the person in the distant crowd who'd suddenly laughed.

They'd managed to watch her for this long by only letting her pass through the corner of their line of vision, careful to stay out of her line of sight so she wouldn't recognize them if they were around too often. They'd done well, considering how difficult it was to keep track of her like that through such a massive crowd. It had been Xigarn's mistake to let himself glance in her direction when she suddenly laughed.

Although, in all honesty, Xigarn wasn't entirely to blame. SpaceTwist had nearly looked up herself, wondering what had spurred the odd reaction from their target. And either way, there was no chance she'd actually noticed Xigarn from that small mistake—only a master martial artist would have the kind of expanded senses to notice the intensity of his gaze in that small moment.

Although this person had better be able to handle this much if they were really as good as Analisa said. They'd have to be, considering the task SpaceTwist would present them with.

"Don't worry." Xigarn assured as the two of them stood up from their seats without looking in the direction of their target even as they casually made their way around people and buildings that stood between them. "If she notices something, there'll be some sort of reaction, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. Since she's still walking around like an airhead, we're probably still safe."

'Probably' wasn't a very sure word, but Xigarn was likely right. SpaceTwist didn't notice the slightest twitch when Xigarn looked at her along with the crowd of people between them, so it was doubtful she even noticed.

So they'd continue.

* * *

...

Well met, my friendly readers. As you can see, Chapter 2 is surprisingly short. Just under 900 words, in fact. I thought about putting some fluff in there to make it 1,000, but I didn't see the point, since everything that needed to happen happened. Quality over quantity, right? A little insight on the individual experiences that made these people who they are is being shown, little by little. By the end of this arc, no two characters will be remotely alike. Look forward to it.


	4. Chapter III: The X Marks the Spot

Considering her circumstances, Esther was sure it was a Templar.

At least, that was her initial impression. It was her first time back in Navea and Esther was sure Andre would remain skeptical about whether she could be trusted now. He'd send someone to keep an eye on her.

But a Templar wouldn't stalk her like this. And not just due to morals; they were knights who rarely possessed any stealth training. Esther couldn't even be sure that she was really being watched. That was just the impression she'd gotten for an instant, and it had faded just as quickly as it had appeared.

_I wonder…was it just my imagination?_

Esther frowned as she folded her arms across her chest, considering this. It was possible she'd become _too_ sensitive. She hadn't been around so many people in a long while, so it wasn't out of the question. But then again, it was still possible that she was actually being followed. If not by a Templar, then probably someone hired to tail her instead.

Would Andre go that far?

Probably.

Another smile spread across Esther's face, this time with scheming dripping from it. If there was someone stalking her, she'd just have to smoke them out.

She brushed her hand through her hair casually in a perfectly natural movement, snagging a single strand of lime green hair between her forefinger and middle finger, releasing it into the air to let the breeze catch it. The entire motion was so normal, even someone who watched and registered every single movement would not have guessed that magic was being used.

That was the best way to set up a trap in plain sight.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Xigarn didn't have any basis for that thought, but it immediately came to him as he stood back to back with SpaceTwist, arms folded as he stared ahead without expression. SpaceTwist, standing at a significantly lower altitude, stood behind him without any posture, arms relaxing at her sides as her eyes slowly swept the empty space around her.

It was common knowledge that there was an area in Navea where envoys rarely ventured too during specific times of the year. Those times clearly coincided with the inactive periods of Sky Tower, such as now. In other words, there were very few people wandering around western Navea, so finding a single familiar face would be easy.

And yet they'd somehow managed to lose sight of their target, here of all places. Considering SpaceTwist's experience and Xigarn's hunting talent, it should not have been possible.

"…Invisibility?" SpaceTwist muttered darkly. "No, there's no way she did that without us noticing. We would have noticed her teleporting as well. So how…?"

"She got us good." Xigarn sighed with a dry chuckle. "Crap. I should have seen it sooner. She's supposed to be a prodigy wizard, right? She can probably cast certain spells without needing to use an incantation, draw runes, or even using a medium like a staff."

"Is that even possible?" SpaceTwist sounded incredulous as she mulled this over as she spoke. They had this whole conversation while keeping their suspicious gazes focused on the space around them, covering each other's blind spots with incredible caution. "Magic is supposed to be supernatural phenomena that interferes with the natural state of reality. Magic users need to do _something_ to interfere with their surroundings. It doesn't make sense if—oh. Damn it."

"Oh? You figured it out pretty fast."

"She did it through movement, didn't she?"

"Yep. By putting significance behind her movements, she should be able to cast one or two spells, if she's careful. She probably did something to create an opening where she could slip away, though there's no telling when."

SpaceTwist gave Xigarn a sideways glance as he pulled a flask from his fur coat and took a large swig from it, sighing deeply with satisfaction. His entire body relaxed, as if he'd decided that keeping an eye on their surroundings wouldn't help them at this point.

"You seem to know a lot about it. Past experience?"

"Well, yeah." Xigarn shrugged as he spoke with his teeth clenched around the end of the flask, leaving his hands free to pull off his coat. "I spent a while chasing after Kotonoha, the Eidolon. I haven't caught her yet because she's tricked me a good number of times with her magic. It's a pain in the ass, really."

"And taking off your clothes helps you…how?"

"I wasn't chasing that priestess for nothing. I managed to get pretty close at one point and snagged a few hairs, though I put myself in a pretty life-threatening situation. To celebrate, I had Analisa put them in the stiches of my coat. Kotonoha's eyes can pierce any illusion—that's a rumor I confirmed with my own eyes. It turns out that hair is an important ingredient for magic users, especially in alchemy and sorcery, as it carries the essence of the caster's magic. It seems that the short hairs that I have can actually interfere with most illusions affecting your perception."

Xigarn held his coat up high and swung his arm around in a wide circle, like a windmill, slashing the coat wildly through the air. After a few seconds of doing this, the air itself seemed to push away, like a layer being peeled back. Though the scenery itself didn't change, something appeared in plain sight that hadn't been there before.

Without waiting for a signal, SpaceTwist's sword flashed through the air with blinding speed, cleaving the green strand of hair that floated in the air instantly, shredding it to pieces. When SpaceTwist tried to grab the pieces of hair with her hand, they erupted into flames that engulfed them completely, forcing her to pull back her hand quickly before she was burned.

The strand of hair incinerated itself once it stopped working? Clever. It seemed that even a single strand of hair really did have enormous significance.

"See? It worked out." Xigarn pulled his coat back on and stuck his flask back inside. "Looks like we were lucky that it was really just an illusion that was placed on us. Otherwise, that probably wouldn't have worked nearly as well."

"Xig."

SpaceTwist uttered a single syllable of Xigarn's name in both a cold and brisk tone that may have come across offensively, though it served the purpose of catching his attention. He was instantly on the alert as his eyes followed her gaze and found what made SpaceTwist so tense.

With the illusion peeled back, they could see that they weren't alone. Three men stood before them, wearing dirty rags for clothing that immediately identified them as pirates, holding sabers as they grinned at the two smugly. One of them was rudely waving a bird in their general direction while another was squeezing his hands while holding them in the air toward SpaceTwist in a very provocative manner, snickering all the while.

Clearly, they were well aware that the illusion had been taken down.

But SpaceTwist didn't pay much attention to them. Her eyes passed right over them, focusing instead on the fourth man in the distance, his back to them as he ran with their target carried in his arms as if she were luggage. If his posture didn't make it clear that he was kidnapping her, nothing else would.

"A hunter from Triatio Highlands with Kotonoha's hair inside his coat?" One of the pirates snorted in derision as he looked Xigarn up and down. "Looks like we got a badass over here, fellas! What do you say we carve 'im up like a Jack O Lantern and toss him in the sea?"."

"Whoa, scary~" Xigarn chuckled casually, completely unfazed. "You really are a bunch of thugs. Just who are you guys?"

"What, never heard of the Catseye Pirates? You must live under a rock or som—"

The pirate didn't even get the chance to finish his sentence. SpaceTwist rushed forward as quick as an arrow shot from a bow, drawing both of her swords at once, slashing them forward with unrealistic speed. By time either side could blink, both swords had left deep, parallel wounds in the pirate's chest, leaving him shocked and unable to react as she immediately brought her swords down on his neck like a guillotine.

The pirate was barely spared by his friends, who immediately brought their own swords up to block SpaceTwist's attack, deflecting the strikes with shrieks of clashing metal filling the air.

"Get back, you wuss!" One of the pirates cackled as he kicked his injured ally back, grinning wildly as he and his friend prepared to counter in unison. "You're in the way!"

Both pirates slashed at the airborne SpaceTwist, aiming to pierce her chest with their swords, but she expertly somersaulted in midair to evade both slashes as she balled herself up to take up as little space as possible. She then threw one hand out to catch herself on the ground, twisting her wrist to spin quickly, sending both of her legs out to kick the pirates before she flipped up to slash at them with her swords once more. Despite her merciless assault, both pirates managed to block her attacks with their swords, holding their ground by bracing their legs and leaning their weight forward, throwing SpaceTwist off balance. They attempted to counter by attacking her together once more, this time aiming to hit her from opposite sides. SpaceTwist easily evaded this, twisting her center of gravity to fit through the narrow space between their slashes as she brought her swords up to their unguarded bodies, aiming to bring them down in a single moment.

It was like watching a killing machine covered in blades attacking two sparring dummies. The dummies could hold their own, but the inevitable result would be them being ripped to shreds by the overwhelming force they were faced with.

SpaceTwist was interrupted by Xigarn's large body slamming into her blind spot, knocking her to the ground with a heavy thud before they rolled several feet away.

"What are you—" SpaceTwist demanded as she attempted to push Xigarn off of her, though she was at a loss considering his superior body weight. While she was trying to decide on how to throw him off, she heard something whizz past her face and hit the floor beside her, missing by an inch.

SpaceTwist's thoughts froze for an entire second before she quickly slipped out from underneath Xigarn's body without even thinking, as if by pure instinct, and threw herself behind a tree, Xigarn following close behind, managing to move just as quickly with the same amount of self-preservation driving him.

"A sniper?" She muttered in irritation as she glanced carefully around the tree in the direction the shots were coming from. She could make out a figure sitting on the roof of a nearby building, giving them a very clear shot. "The timing really sucks. That kidnapper's going to get away!"

"Don't worry so much." Xigarn assured as he clapped a hand on SpaceTwist's shoulder, looking confidently toward the four opponents. "The sniper is surprisingly close, so they must be a bad shot, or at least inexperienced. You should have no problem getting behind him and taking him out. I'll take care of the pirates here, so you can go on ahead and secure our target."

SpaceTwist hesitated, mostly skeptical about trusting things here to Xigarn. But one more glance toward the disappearing figure of the pirate holding their target was enough to prompt her. If she lost sight of them, it would be difficult to find them again. And there was no telling what the Catseye Pirates even wanted with that wizard.

"Hold their attention for twenty seconds. That's all I need."

Xigarn grinned widely, an excited light appearing in his eye.

"What are you saying? I can hold their attention as long as I need to."

SpaceTwist didn't bother arguing with him, turning her attention instead to the sniper as she slipped around the trees, rushing past cover as she cautiously made her way closer to his position.

Xigarn took a deep breath as he drew his own heavy swords from their sheath, gripping them tightly in his hands. The sound of them cutting through the air as he held them at their sides was more similar to a heavy axe or a mace and would have immediately raised red flags in regard to their actual weight.

He stepped forward from behind the tree and looked directly at the waiting pirates with a confrontational expression.

"…HEY! HEY! HEY! Coming in here and interfering with MY job and kidnapping a pretty girl right in front of me? I don't care if you're pirates or whatever, you must have some serious guts!"

One of the pirates looked at him like he was crazy while the injured one laughed.

"You've gotta have some guts too, since you just walked into our sniper's range like it's nothing! I guess the hunters have something going for them after all!"

"Heh. You call this a threat?"

Xigarn swiped one of his heavy swords through the air and slashed through the oncoming bullet with ease, deflecting it so it struck the floor nearby with an audible _ping_. He continued to grin as he lowered his sword once more, not even bothering to look in the sniper's direction.

"As if this would scare me!"

"Heh." The pirate's smirk widened. "Just what are you? Some kind of freak of nature?"

"Hey, hey, don't go labelling people you just met like that. If you want to know who I am, I'll tell you."

Xigarn held both of his swords up and pointed them at the opposing pirates, deflecting another bullet with the movement.

"I am a pro hunter from the Triatio Highlands! I've slain over a hundred kinds of beasts and fear no animal! When they talk about the freakish hunting wolf from hell who chased down the fox eared miko, Kotonoha, for 40 days and nights without sleep, they're talking about me! The super strong, super cool, Envoy of Gaia, Xigarn (currently guildless)!"

All three of the pirates snorted this time.

"So other people call you a freak, too!"

"Guildless? So no one would take you?"

"Shut up! I've been busy! It's not like you need to be in a guild to survive, after all. I just haven't found one that I'm interested in!"

"Riiiiiight!" The pirates continued to laugh, clapping each other on the back. "That's exactly what Aniki says! 'My ADW won't let me join just any guild. It's their fault for being so uninteresting.' What a bunch of saps!"

"Yeah, I bet the boss would get a kick out of hearing this!"

"Well," The injured pirate wiped a tear from his eyes, having completely forgotten his own wounds. "You're pretty interesting for a stupid ol' hunter. Since we're in a good mood, how about you run along and we'll let you go? There's no reason to kill ya if you just give up on that girl."

"Heh, not happening." Xigarn lowered his posture as his grip on his swords tightened once more. His smile slackened slightly, becoming sharper as he geared himself for combat. "I already told you—I'm not going to let you get away with kidnapping a girl right in front of me."

"Your funeral, kid." The pirates held their swords at the ready as well, even the injured one. It seemed they were opting to take him out with their numbers. That was probably the most troublesome decision they could pick.

Fighting the three of them while fending off a sniper would be difficult. He could try to stall until SpaceTwist took out the sniper, but it seemed the situation had already developed to the point where he would have to fight, which made that option difficult.

Well, either way, he'd be holding their attention, so there was no point in worrying about it. He'd just have to figure things out as he went.

"Come on, you dirty pirates! I'll show you, here and now, that hunters are the superior race!"

* * *

...

Well met, my friendly readers. A chapter with some action has finally arrived. Which means the antagonists are showing their faces. The struggle between the good and evil envoys approaches, full throttle...or not. With motivations unclear, try not to jump to any conclusions about who to root for just yet. Or better yet, do it. The surprises to come will be all the better.


End file.
